


Dragon Wings and Stranger Things

by RebeccaOTool



Series: The Magik Saga [1]
Category: The Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Animal Transformation, Dragons, Gen, Magic, Psychic Abilities, Psychic Bond, Sorcerers, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-07
Updated: 2013-05-09
Packaged: 2017-12-10 17:48:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/788441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebeccaOTool/pseuds/RebeccaOTool
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Peter is separated from the others during an investigation he finds himself in bigger trouble than ever before.  And dragons are just the tip of the iceberg.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a brief passage from "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" by C.S. Lewis. Formerly released as Pete the Magik Dragon.

"I hate you all. Just thought you should know that."

"Peter, please, its not that bad." Ray didn't take his eyes off the road. It was unpaved and full of holes just waiting to trip the Ectomobile up.

"Not that bad? Its worse! I'm wasting a whole Friday on this one job. I HAD A DATE!"

The auburn-haired man sighed. "Its just a three hour drive. We're already half way there."

Peter Venkman glared at the younger man. "Its practically Canada! God, if I'd know this job was upstate-"

"You still would have accepted because we're getting paid double our standard fee." Egon said flatly.

"Oh yeah." Peter's look softened into a grin.

Winston peered out the window. "The last 'town' we passed was three houses, a restaurant, and a closed general store. Where is this place?"

"Mr. Johnson said it would be a ways past the fork in the road." Ray gestured to the road map. "Which we should be coming up to in about thirty minutes."

Peter groaned and placed a set of headphones over his ears. "Tell me when its over."

Ray sighed as he pulled onto another unpaved road. This one seemed to be made entirely of rocks and holes.

The bust was out at some private mansion in the upstate countryside. The entity they were going to contain wasn't in the house, but was roaming the nearby woods. Trees had been damaged, markers burned, and other general chaos. Mr. Johnson said his daughter's wedding reception was going to happen there, and he wanted nothing to disturb it.

Egon had become particularly excited with the job. He'd discovered the area the disturbances were taking place in were supposed to have been a meeting place for wizards predating colonial times. He wanted to get some sample readings of nearby plant life to study.

"This may not even _be_ a ghost." Winston pointed out. "Nobody's seen what's causing the damage."

"Personally I think its an angered tribal spirit. Or, it may have something to do with the supposed 'wizards' that were in the area." Egon interjected. "But I'll need some readings to rule anything out."

"Well whatever it is, its gonna wish it never messed with us!" Ray said cheerfully.

"I just hope this guy doesn't try and stiff us on the bill. Pete's already fit to be tied." Winston jerked his head at the brown-haired man.

"I heard that Zedd." Peter replied without opening his eyes.

0o0o0o0o0

"As you can see, this is getting absurd." Mr. Johnson, a short red-faced man, rushed them into the woods. "There have always been minor problems, but until now we figured we'd leave well enough alone. The damage is getting closer to the house."

"I'm not picking anything up." Egon announced, looking up from a burned stump on the edge of a well-kept lawn. The PKE meter remained unperturbed. "Just natural background waves."

"You've had the police out to investigate, right?" Winston raised an eyebrow.

"Of course! I thought it was simple vandalism at first, but so _few_ people live out here." Johnson's round face flushed. "I've installed cameras too, and they always turn up broken!"

"Do you have any tapes? I'd like to have a look at them." Egon said.

"Yes, at the house."

"Well, Mr. Johnson, why don't you and Dr. Spengler hike back up there, and we'll see if we can get any readings." Peter made his best 'This is all normal' face.

The man nodded. "Right. Its this way..."

Egon gave a slight look of skepticism to the others, then followed the client.

"Whaddaya think? Pranksters?" Winston asked.

"Most likely." Ray waved the GAGA meter over another burned marker without any response. "I'm just getting normal valance."

"Great, we drive all this way because some Pothead likes to screw with this bozo." Peter jerked a thumb in the direction Johnson had gone.

"I wouldn't rule out something paranormal yet." Ray's voice had taken an odd tone. "You guys better have a look at this."

"What is it?"

Ray's pointed to the trunk.

Long, deep gashes gouged the wood. Several dark stains (Blood, Peter assumed) also adorned the tree and nearby ground.

"What could have made those?" Winston voiced the group question.

"I dunno, but its fresh." The meter in Ray's hand beeped. "And these stains are giving off some strong readings. I've never seen waves like this. Wait 'till Egon sees!"

"How fresh Ray? Fresh like last few days, or fresh like we're about to get eaten?" Peter asked.

"If whatever it is was still around here, I'd have picked up some stronger readings." Ray said.

Suddenly, the meter let out a loud beep.

"And that?" Winston said tensely.

"That means get your thrower out." Ray's expression hardened. " _Now_."

0o0o0o0o0

"See, its all pretty dark. There's some movement, then the flash of light-" Johnson fast-forwarded the tape, "Then a blank."

Egon nodded. "Its difficult to tell, but there's definitely something there. I am fairly confidant in saying whatever did this is not human."

Johnson sagged. "But you guys can catch it, right?"

"We've never failed in the past." Egon rewound the tape, frowning slightly. "I think I'd better return to my colleagues and discuss this."

0o0o0o0o0

The three men stood in a triangle, facing opposite directions.

"Ray, what are we looking for?" Peter hissed.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, its big." Ray whispered. "And close."

"Everybody stay still and listen." Winston muttered.

A twig cracked nearby.

"Over here." Peter carefully aimed his thrower. "We blast on three. One...two..."

They fired. A loud roar shook the trees, and massive footsteps began to run away.

"You guys go that way, I'll head it off!" Peter took off.

Winston and Ray complied and ran at an angle.

Peter couldn't see what he was pursuing, but he could certainly hear it. Things snapped as whatever-it-was ran. He stared in amazement as broken twigs gave way to thick branches. He skidded to a stop as a large dip loomed before him.

'A multi-pronged hollow that looks suspiciously like a footprint...' The psychologist bit his lip, but continued the pursuit. If that really was a print, whatever he was chasing was at least the size of the Ectomobile.

'I can contain it until Zedd and Ray catch up.' He doggedly pursued the crunches.

Then, abruptly as it had begun, the noise stopped. Peter slowed to a jog.

"Come out, come out whatever you are..."

0o0o0o0o0

"Ray lookout!"

Winston's warning came too late. Ray vanished from the darker man's sight as he lost his footing and tumbled down a hill.

Winston groaned and jogged down the slope. Ray lay at the bottom, moaning.

"Are you okay?" Winston skidded to a stop.

"I think I broke my wrist." Ray cradled his left arm to his chest. His face was pale, streaked with dirt and scratches from the fall. There were a few new snags in his coveralls.

Winston gingerly took hold of Ray's right arm and helped him to his feet. "We'd better get you back to the house."

"But Peter is still out there chasing that thing!" 

"Once he realizes we're not there, he'll pull back." Winston insisted. "And besides, you are in no shape to handle a thrower."

"But-"

"No buts Ray." Winston said firmly. "Pete can take care of himself."

"I guess so..." 

0o0o0o0o0

The forest had given way to a small clearing, centered around an enormous cave. Scattered around were many large boulders pushed into strange patterns. Peter cautiously edged his way to the cave's mouth. Several of the same strange prints were stamped into the dirt.

The psychologist took one last look around before entering.

'No sign of Ray or Zedd...I'll just have to scout it out myself.'

0o0o0o0o0

Egon pushed his way through the foliage. He'd never been comfortable immersed in nature, and the inability to locate his friends was only making him nervous.

"Ow! Where are we?" A familiar voice rang out.

"We've gotta be near the house be now..."

"Winston?" Egon called.

Ray and Winston appeared from the brush.

"What happened? Where's Peter?"

"Ray fell and hurt his wrist." Winston sighed. "And Pete went after whatever-it-is."

"I knew we should have tried to catch up to him." Ray moaned. Egon examined the wrist.

"Its just a bad sprain." He peered over his glasses at the two of them. "And I'm sure Peter is fine."

"Was there anything on the tapes?" Winston inquired.

"All I could make out was something very large. Definitely not humanoid."

"I knew pranksters couldn't have made marks in trees like that." Ray sighed.

"What?"

"We found gashes and weird stains on tree's around here. That's when we heard some noises, and took off." Winston said.

"Lets get a splint on your wrist. Then we'll go after Peter." Egon said.

Ray nodded, silently cursing his clumsy nature.

0o0o0o0o0

Peter squinted into the gloom. Something was shuffling around in here, but it was too dark to see what it was. He kept his thrower out.

A strange noise drew his attention. It sounded like a very thin piece of cloth being ripped. A faint glow lit the cave.

Peter slid carefully forward, shoulder to the wall. The noise had stopped, but that didn't mean the entity had left. The glow grew stronger.

The Ghostbuster turned a slight corner, eyes opening in amazement.

The cavern was filled with treasure. Golden coins, scepters, crowns, statues, jewelry; a thousand kings ransoms lay piled almost to the cave's ceiling. Small shafts of light descended from above, making the gold gleam.

Peter gaped at the mass of riches. Hand trembling, he plucked a large coin off the pile, twirling it in his fingers.

"It's real." He said breathlessly.

The green eyes sparkled. Wait till he brought the guys here! A tenth of this stuff would keep them in the most modern equipment for the rest of their lives! Not to mention a few well deserved luxuries.

He studied the hoard. There were plenty of stories about ghosts protecting treasure. Usually, once the treasure was discovered the ghost could go peacefully to its grave. Perhaps an actual bust wouldn't be needed...

His eyes lit on a bracelet studded with emeralds. He picked it up.

'It goes with my eyes.' He chuckled aloud, sliding the thick gold circle up his arm. It was obviously a warrior's band. Maybe a part of an ornate suit of armor. Maybe Egon would know.

'I'd better find the guys and show them.' The psychologist made his way back to the entrance. He reached the cave's mouth, and his heart sunk. It had begun to rain.

'I can't take the proton pack into the rain, it'll short out! And if I leave it here, the ghost could destroy it.' Peter sighed and retreated back to the treasure chamber. There was nothing to do but wait it out.

He sat on a mound of coins. The chamber seemed unseasonably warm. He lay back, slipping the pack off. If anything entered the cave, he could still reach it.

Peter's talent for sleeping anytime anywhere proved itself again, and he drifted off.

0o0o0o0o0

Ray grimaced as Egon finished wrapping his wrist. It was a quick job, but it'd hold.

"I knew there was a reason I hated the country." Winston commented. "Ray busts his wrist, Pete's gone, and there's still some big nasty thing creepin' around out there."

"I'm sure Peter's fine." Egon repeated the familiar refrain. "He probably took shelter somewhere. Getting a proton pack wet is very inadvisable, both for operator and machine."

"What if he didn't find cover? He might be lying electrocuted in a ditch somewhere!" Ray chimed in.

"I doubt it. We would have seen the explosion." Egon said absentmindedly.

Ray let out a horrified squeak.

"It looks like its lightening up. We'll go look in a few minutes." Winston tried to get Ray's mind off it.

Egon nodded, his glasses nearly slipping off his nose. "Ray, you'd better leave your pack here. You're in no shape to fight anything."

"Okay." Ray said reluctantly. "Let's just find Peter."

0o0o0o0o0

Peter's eyes slid open. The golden glow had faded slightly.

'Crap. How long was that?'

He shifted, the coins beneath him seeming much more comfortable than before. Emerald eyes locked on the tunnel to the cave's mouth.

'Okay, I fell asleep, no big deal.' He tried to stand. The coins slid around under his feet. He slipped back onto the pile, head cracking against the metal.

"ARRGH!" An animal cry of pain rose from him. His eyes clenched shut.

'Damn damn damn!' He lay motionless, dizzy from the fall.

As the disorientation faded, he risked opening his eyes. The air wavered hazily. He squinted. The smoky atmosphere didn't clear. Peter scrabbled back. Where there was smoke...

The Doctor lay still, mind racing. He'd fallen asleep, and several hours had passed. He sniffed the air, wisps of smoke filtering in.

'My proton pack!' His eyes jumped to the machine. It lay unharmed and undisturbed in the corner of the cave. Slowly, he rolled from his back to his stomach, preparing to crawl to the pack. As he reached out, a flicker of movement caught his eye.

A clawed paw lay still to his right. Peter stared, eyes wide. The massive arm was covered in green scales, and looked big enough to lift him effortlessly. His eyes traveled as far up as they could, without moving his head. He couldn't see what the arm was attached to, but he was suddenly aware of heavy breathing. Smoke was quickly obscuring his vision.

'Okay, some kind of huge monster is in here with me, there's a fire, and so far it hasn't disemboweled me. It might be asleep.'

He was facing the back of the cave.

'I never saw that tunnel leading off this chamber before...'

He bit his lip. The claw was twitching. Whatever it was, it was going to be awake soon.

He focused on the exit, took a deep breath, and ran. Coins fell to the floor, jangling merrily behind him. He heard something massive shift off the pile, but refused to look back.

Peter loped forwards, the light at the end of the tunnel growing brighter. Something was behind him. He could hear the soft 'ssssshhh' of scales on the stone floor. Fear glazed his brain, pure animal instinct taking over. He ran faster, the smoke fading behind him. He scraped his arm on a large boulder. The gold bracelet clanged off. Peter bit back a yelp as he emerged from the chamber. Light flooded his vision. Blinded by the surprisingly bright light, he staggered into another large rock.

"Ahh..." He gasped in pain. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear the strange blotches of color. Slowly, the world became clear.

Peter spun clumsily to face the cave. Nothing stood behind him.

"What the heck..." He muttered. Or, he tried to. His throat seemed to have grown sore during his slumber. A raspy gargle was all the emerged. Peter frowned, trying to clear his throat. He tried to walk, but nearly fell over again.

And for the first time, the psychologist realized he'd been running on all fours.

0o0o0o0o0

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Peter shook himself mentally. There was something very wrong here, and it was with him. Why had he been running on all fours? Why hadn't the thing in the cave killed him while he'd been asleep? Where the heck were the others?

Too many questions, no good answers.

He spotted a pool of water, and suddenly realized how thirsty he'd become. He loped drunkenly forward, unable to rise off his hands and knees. Unthinking, he bent to the water to drink.

'Look at what you're doing!' His inner critic shrieked as he looked into the water.

0o0o0o0o0

"The trail ends here." Winston said grimly. "Its just a good thing the rain didn't wash the prints away."

"How could it? They're huge." Ray said quietly. They'd found the giant print not too far from the mouth of the cave where Peter's faint tracks stopped. Had he been chasing the entity, or was it the other way around?

"Peter?" Winston called. His voice reverberated weakly.

Egon squared his shoulders. "Lets go spelunking."

0o0o0o0o0

A lizard-like head reflected from the pool, its expression vaguely sad. Peter blinked, hoping to make the horrifying creature vanish. The thing blinked back.

'I did _not_ see that.'

The impossible monstrosity stared back at him. He slowly closed one eye, the thing in the water winking. Thin columns of smoke curled from the corners of its mouth. Long white fangs protruded over the lips. He shuddered and leaned further over the water. The strange head was attached to a long, snake-like neck. Gulping, the petrified psychologist turned to see his body, the long neck bending in a U.

Spikes rose along the bony ridge of his back. Giant leathery plates (wings, he assumed) lay folded close to the scaly skin. His legs had fearsome clawed feet. The structure was singularly unlizard like; vaguely rabbit-esq.

'If rabbits were twenty five feet long and covered with scales!'

The spikes receded at the tail. It twitched nervously, pointed at the end. Peter shuddered again.

'I never woke up. This is a nightmare brought on by sleeping on all that treasure. I'm still asleep.'

His left arm (foreleg?) throbbed dully. He turned to locate the source of the pain and winced at what he saw. The gold bracelet, which had fit his arm perfectly before, was now digging deeply into his flesh. A scrap of his uniform was still caught between the gold and the scales. He lifted his right arm to claw at the thing, not realizing the appendage no longer bent that way.

He hissed between his new teeth, smoke billowing. 'Okay, I've had enough of this dream.'

Peter closed his eyes tightly and concentrated. 'I'm going to wake up in three...two...now!'

He risked a peek at the world. The sun shone obstinately down on him. The bracelet still gleamed, embedded in the scaled flesh.

'Damn.'

0o0o0o0o0

"Its real." Egon announced, dropping a jewel onto the pile. "And what's more, something very large was in here, very recently."

Winston let out a whistle. They'd quickly stumbled upon the mound of treasure after entering the cave. The massive riches had obviously been here for many years, and of course, Peter has stumbled across them. That man had the worst case of money fever sometimes. They'd found his pack, but so far that had been the only sign of the other man. There didn't appear to be any other way out of the massive main chamber.

"Oh God." Ray's voice wavered on the other side of the treasure pile. Egon and Winston exchanged quick glances, then joined the younger man.

He had something brown strung between his hands.

"Is that Peter's uniform?" Egon asked, quiet and calm.

Winston retrieved another scrap from the floor. "Part of it."

"Its been ripped to shreds." Ray's voice jumped as he held back tears. "It's completely destroyed."

"There's no blood." Winston said. "Lets not jump to conclusions."

"His proton pack was unharmed. Peter may have removed the suit himself..." Egon said, doubt filtering in.

"His boots too?" Ray numbly dropped the cloth and pointed to a darker scrap of leather.

Egon took off his glasses and cleaned them, trying to keep calm. "There's no bodily fluids and no other sign of a physical struggle. Peter most likely-"

"Peter might be hurt! This is no time to theorize!" Ray's nerve broke.

"Ray, calm down." Winston laid a hand on his shoulder. "Let's just find Pete. If he needs it, we can get medical attention. You and Spengler are Doctors."

"Not that kind." He said darkly.

"Close enough." Winston indicated Ray's wrapped wrist. "Let's keep looking. If I know Pete, he found a wood nymph and went skinny dipping." 

Egon waved the PKE meter over the cloth. "I'm getting a residual. Peter may have found our ghost."

"Then lets find him." Winston said.

0o0o0o0o0

Peter sat quietly going over the last few hours in his mind.

'I went to sleep...woke up...and somewhere in between, I turned into a Dragon.'

Well, of COURSE he had. That was just his luck.

'Oh no, its not enough that I just get turned into something, but its gotta be a big nasty monster! With my luck Egon will be more interested in studying me than turning me back-

'Crap. How do I let them know I'm me and not the thing we're after?'

A bat-like ear cocked itself. Noises emerged from the cave. Something was coming.

0o0o0o0o0

"This is very strange." Egon said as the GAGA meter beeped. "According to this, a gateway in time was recently ripped open. I've never seen a border this thin. We could pass through it unaided!"

"So, what are you saying? A time warp sucked Peter into the past?" Winston asked.

"Possibly. It could be a passage to the future." Egon peered over his glasses at a patch emptiness.

"It looks like a wall." Winston said flatly. The blank stone seemed as normal as the rest of the cave.

"It wouldn't if we had a multi-phase spectrograph." Egon said. "This may also account for Peter's clothes. If he passed very rapidly through the portal they may have been ripped away."

"So, he's in another time and he's naked." Winston's voice held the same flat tone.

"Hopefully."

"Egon, I dunno about you, but seeing a naked Peter doesn't exactly qualify as hope in my book."

"Who cares, this is great!" Ray moved toward the wall.

"Wait a sec Ray." Winston grabbed the younger man. "If we go through this portal, are we gonna be stripped too?"

"No, the barrier is very weak now. Whatever went through it last tore down the stronger defenses." Egon said.

"Peter passing through shouldn't have done anything like that. It would have taken a tremendous amount of energy to deteriorate a portal to this point!" Ray said.

"Maybe he blasted it." Winston suggested. "Or maybe our gooper dragged him through."

"At any rate, I'm fairly confident that Peter is on the other side of this portal." Egon said.

"So lets get moving!" Ray plunged ahead. The auburn haired man shimmered for a moment, then disappeared into the wall.

Winston sighed. "Lets go before Johnny Trumain in there gets slimed."

"Very apt." Egon chuckled slightly as the two men passed through.

They emerged into what seemed to be another section of the cave. Treasure lay strewn across the floor. An opening led to the outdoors.

"Are we in the future or the past?" Ray asked.

"I'm not sure." Egon activated the PKE scanner. It beeped. "But there are stronger residuals here."

"Can you at least tell how far we traveled? I'd really like to know if we're about to be lynched for witches." Winston said as they moved forward toward the mouth of the cave.

"It's quite far. I want to say several hundred years have passed."

"That's great Egon. Either we're antiques or space invaders." Winston mumbled.

Egon un-holstered his thrower. "Lets see."

Winston did likewise as they exited the cave. The flora seemed identical to what they had left behind, except for the light. It was obviously earlier in the day then when they left. A small pool lay near the cave.

"Peter?" Ray called.

"Check these funky tracks." Winston nudged the younger man. The same large footprints went down to the pool, then vanished.

"Where did it go?" Ray wondered.

Egon edged closer to the pond and peered in. "Nothing in here."

Ray walked around the pool to investigate the thick brush. He shifted a branch, and yelped. A pair of familiar green eyes peered out of the darkness.

"Peter?" Ray whispered. The eyes bobbed slightly. "What are you doing in a bush?"

The eyes shifted to the ground, a noncommittal whimper emerging.

"Oh jeeze, its because you're naked! Hold on a sec, I'll see if there's..." He trailed off as the bush shook slightly. "Peter, are you okay?"

The form in the bush moaned. Ray frowned.

"Guys, you better check this out." He said loudly.

"What's up?" Winston joined him.

"I'm not sure." Ray cleared the branch aside, revealing the eyes.

"Pete? Is that you?"

The form shivered and moaned again.

"Something is very wrong here. We'd better get the rest of this off him." Egon sheathed the thrower and began to clear the brush away. A sharp growl stopped him.

"Ray, I don't think that's Pete." Winston said quietly, stepping in between the man and the shrub.

Egon unsheathed the thrower. "Come out of there, or we'll be forced to shoot."

An audible groan of frustration emerged.

"You've got till three." Winston unholstered his thrower. "One."

A huge claw emerged from the bush.

"Get back!" Winston pushed the injured and unarmed Ghostbuster aside. Ray stumbled slightly, eyes fixed on the figure before them.

The three stared in amazement as a huge green form shook leaves and branches off itself. The beast stood up, it's head stretching several feet above Egon's.

"Egon, what is that?" Winston demanded as they backed away.

"It's a dragon." Egon's mouth went dry.

"I was afraid of that."

The strange beast wagged its head frantically back and fourth.

"Its...its like its saying no." Ray said breathlessly. The creature gave them what was an unmistakable nod.

"Can you understand us?" He asked.

The dragon nodded enthusiastically.

Egon's scientific nature took over. "Can you speak?"

The beast shook its head mournfully.

"Egon, maybe we shouldn't be talking to a dragon. That thing could waste us!" Winston hissed. The dragon shook its head frantically.

"If you're friendly, prove it." The dark man challenged.

The dragon sat still a moment, obviously deep in thought. Its eyes widened, an idea forming.

The Ghostbusters watched in amazement as the giant creature lay on the ground, its neck extended past the three of them.

"We could kill it." Ray said in amazement. "It completely trusts that we won't harm it."

"Maybe we should. How do we know this thing wasn't what chased Pete over here?" Winston demanded.

The creature stood, its tail thumping excitedly. The three wobbled slightly as the ground shook.

"Easy boy." Ray placed a hand on the Dragon's leg. "Do you know where our friend Peter is?"

The beast rolled its eyes and huffed. It looked offended by the question.

"I have a theory." Egon said suddenly. "Look at its left front leg."

Three pairs of eyes locked on the bracelet. Scaly flesh bulged around it, nearly hiding the gold from view.

"Poor thing, it must be in pain. How'd you get that on there?" Ray said sympathetically, patting the creature's leg.

"Look closer." Egon deftly plucked something from the leg. He held his hand open to the others. A scrap of brown cloth rested on his palm.

"It's part of Pete's uniform." Winston felt the final puzzle piece slip into place. "Pete?"

The Dragon let out a triumphant roar.

0o0o0o0o0

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

"I still don't understand how this happened!" Winston was frustrated. The four Ghostbusters were still outside the cave, near the small pool. Where else could they go?

Peter watched intensely as Egon waved a Meter over his leg. "This bracelet is giving off very strong waves. It's got magical properties. As such, I believe Peter putting it on led to his transformation."

The Dragon they now knew to be Peter sat behind them, long neck telescoping over Egon's head to view the PKE meter. Egon looked straight up into the quizzical face.

"Peter, did you make the tracks we found on the other side of the cave?"

Peter shook his head.

"Then there are more of these things running around?" Winston demanded.

"So it would seem." 

"How do we change Peter back?" Ray asked.

"I think if we can get the bracelet off he should become human again." Egon said. "But I'm not sure how to do that. Peter's new dimensions present a problem."

Peter sighed, wisps of smoke curling upwards. This was so typical he could cry. Why did these things always happen to _him_?

"Its okay. We'll think of something." Ray patted his shoulder.

Peter took an exploratory nibble at the gold. His nose wrinkled in pain.

"It's just as well, cutting it off wouldn't work." Egon added. "Spells of this nature present problems if they're circumvented like that."

"So we can't cut it off, and Pete's to big to try and slid it off." Winston sighed. "And we've still got another one of these runnin' around, messing stuff up in our time."

Peter cocked his head inquisitively.

"I can at least say with some confidence that we've gone into the past." Egon said.

The emerald eyes widened.

"I'd say we've been taken back to...mid seventeenth century." Egon did a few calculations on his pocket calculator.

"You must have ripped right through the portal in the cave." Ray told their altered comrade, "At your size, its no wonder it was weakened."

"Can we get back through the portal?" Winston asked. "It might be easier to cure Peter if we don't have to worry about getting hunted down by the natives."

"Its tricky. The portal is two-way, but it will only work if major PKE waves on both sides are balanced." Egon frowned slightly. "Our own waves are inconsequential, but we'd need another dragon in the cave to generate enough valance to get Peter through. The first time he was able to get by on sheer strength. The portal will collapse if we try that again."

"So we've gotta find this other dragon and keep it near the cave entrance to get Peter through again." Ray said.

"I'm afraid so. We _could_ go back without Peter, but I'm not sure how long the portal can last in its weakened state. Any superfluous use could seal it permanently, trapping him here."

Peter made a snorting noise, very clearing saying 'It figures.'

"Well then, lets find this other dragon!" Ray said, his usual upbeat demeanor coming back.

"Its the sixteen hundreds, we've got two proton packs, its sunny, and Pete's a Dragon." Winston assessed their situation. "Lets roll."

0o0o0o0o0o

"You see what your foolishness has brought upon us." A dark figure watched the men though his own small crystal pool.

'I am sorry master. I beg forgiveness.'

"No matter. We will deal with these men and the beast in due time." He had plans for these men, as long as they were here.

0o0o0o0o0

"If we could get the bracelet off, couldn't we leave without needing to find another Dragon?" Ray asked as they tromped though the forest. The woods were much sparser on this side, so they could walk a little easier. Egon was at the front, while Winston remained besides Ray. Peter brought up the rear.

"Yes, but I have no idea how we could do that." Egon sighed. "Its much too tight to slip off. I'm really quiet surprised that the blood flow hasn't been cut off. I wish we had a few medical scanners. I'll bet his veins are structured differently."

"I knew Pete's fashion sense would get him in big trouble one day." Winston said.

"Hey, I've got an idea. Peter, do your wings work?" Ray asked.

Peter shrugged. He hadn't really thought about them, aside from being freaked out over having them.

"If they do, why don't you get a bird's eye view?"

There was a slight growl.

"Dragon's eye view." Ray amended.

The Ghostbusters had come to a clearing. Peter, freed of overhanging branches and other debris, stretched to his full height. The massive bat-like wings unfurled.

"Interesting." Egon murmured. "They're true wings, not just skin stretched out for gliding purposes. They shouldn't support Peter's weight. If only I had access to my computer…"

Peter flexed the wings. A blast of air hit the others.

"Careful there Pete, don't knock us over." Winston cautioned.

"Yeah, I've already got one busted wrist, I don't need another." Ray chimed.

Peter nodded and moved further into the clearing. He began attempting flight anew.

0o0o0o0o0

'It's away from the others. Go now. I may not give you anther chance to redeem yourself.'

'Yes master.'

0o0o0o0o0

Peter flapped the wings harder, only causing them to ache.

'Maybe I can't fly.' He thought sourly. The others stood clumped at a safe distance, watching his futile attempts. 'It's my fault we're in this mess; I can't quit now.'

His gaze traveled idly across the wide strip of meadow. Flowers and weeds dotted it's surface. The forest receded in a long ovoid. Ironically, it would have been the perfect airstrip-if he could get airborne.

'Maybe I need a running start…'

He started forward, the initial burst of speed surprising him. Suddenly, he didn't care about flying-running was a joy by itself. Unbeknownst to him, his wings leveled off, air flowing smoothly over them.

With mild surprise, Peter realized his feet had left the ground.

Peter watched the earth spiral away beneath him. He'd always had a mild fear of heights--the foray into the top of spook central a few years back had been far tougher for him than he'd let on--but now it was gone. Three dark dots were all he could make out of his friends. He looked out over the area, and his heart sank. Unmarred woodland surrounded them.

'I can fend for myself, but the guys are going to need food and information if we hope to get out of here. Stupid Europeans must not have come this far yet.' He grumbled, a very strange sound in his altered voice box. He turned back towards the cave, hoping to spot a village or settlement of some kind. Peter stopped in mid-air, massive wings flapping to keep him in place.

A sinister gray castle rose up behind the cave. Spiky turrets pierced the sky at odd angles. A moat with murky water surrounded the structure.

'Castle GraySkull looks like a good place to start.' He resumed his glide back to earth. He didn't see the black speck emerge from the castle.

"It looks like he's coming back." Egon shielded his eyes against the harsh sunlight as Peter descended. The green scaled scientist spiraled in lazy circles toward the ground.

"Showoff." Ray chuckled.

Winston took a sharp breath as he spotted something coming up behind Peter. "Guys, what is that?"

Ray followed the taller man's gaze to a distant black speck. "It could be a hawk."

Egon frowned. "I don't think so. It's coming up too fast."

They watched as the speck grew into a large, and increasingly menacing figure.

"Get your thrower out Winston." Egon said quickly, doing likewise.

0o0o0o0o0

Peter was a few hundred feet from the ground when he saw the dark blots move back.

'What are they doing that for? I'm not landing near them.'

He sniffed the air. There was…an irregularity.

He turned sharply in midair. A huge shape was winging its way toward him, and not in a friendly way. He rose back up, trying to gain the high ground over this new thing.

The shape didn't follow him, but instead dove toward the ground. Peter's eyes widened as he realized his mistake.

'Crap.' Peter dove after it.

0o0o0o0o0

"Its another dragon." Ray said breathlessly.

They watched as the new dragon plunged almost to the ground, skimming the grass it as he turned toward them.

"Egon, will these things even faze a dragon?" Winston unsheathed his thrower.

Egon did likewise. "We're about to find out."

Ray stood behind them, frustration building. He didn't have his pack, and with his wrist in a splint he was worse than useless in a fight.

The shape pulled up short of them by a few hundred yards. This dragon looked completely different than Peter. Its scales shimmered dark purple. It was slightly taller than Peter, but much stockier. It loped forwards, teeth exposed in a snarl.

"Fire!" Egon's shot hit the dragon square in the chest. The beast grunted, took a few steps back, then began it's charge again.

"Oh man." Winston paled.

The ground shook as Peter landed in front of them. He stood sideways, so he blocked other dragon.

Peter snarled at the new dragon, clouds of smoke rising from his jaws. The other dragon responded by shooting a stream of fire straight at him.

"Peter lookout!" Egon's warning went unheeded as the fire hit Peter broadside. Even blocked, the three men felt the intense heat. Peter roared; whether in pain or anger, they couldn't tell.

"We've gotta help Pete. If he just stands there he's gonna get burned to a crisp!" Winston yelled above the din. Fire licked the air around them.

"Set your thrower to full power!" Egon yelled back. "If we hit it broadside Peter may be able to catch it unawares."

The two armed men raced into firing range, being careful to avoid Peter's lashing tail. Ray scanned the area for something, _anything_ that could be used as a weapon. His eyes lighted on a group of large rocks. It was better than nothing. He grabbed one and hurried to join the others.

Egon and Winston hit the purple dragon broadside with their beams the second the fire died away. The beast, startled by the attack, stumbled and fell. Peter sprang forwards.

'Trying to fry my buddies, huh? I'm gonna kick your scaly ass!'

'Don't count on it.' Another voice hissed into his head. The psychologist pulled up short.

'You're telepathic!'

The dragon didn't reply, but an unmistakable smirk came over its face. Peter felt a cold shock go through his head. The other dragon was probing his thoughts. He shut the stranger out, God only knew how, but the damage had been done.

'Human? You're a _human_?' It took an arrogant tone.

'Not the last I checked.' Peter retorted.

The three men watched in amazement as the two seemed to simply stare at each other.

"What's going on?" Winston hissed.

"I think they're having a conversation." Egon said softly.

Ray gripped his rock tighter. "Maybe Peter is explaining what's going on."

Winston shook his head. "Look at that thing's face. It looks…cocky."

'Why don't you just take you're sorry purple self outta here?' Peter tried to intimidate the dragon. "We've got no virgins and no knights. Nothing for you here, buddy."

'I cannot. You and your pack have disrupted my master's plans.' The purple dragon rose to its feet.

'What? Listen buddy, we never even met your master!'

'You're presence here disturbed our spells. The only way we can continue is to be rid of you!' On the last word, the dragon's tail lashed forward and knocked Peter down. The stunned scientist could only gape as it stood and sent a wall of flame towards his exposed chest.

"No!" Winston and Egon unleashed their beams.

They struck the dragon, but it was too late. The flames hit Peter. He howled with pain and promptly curled into a ball, trying to protect his vulnerable underside. The other dragon grunted and steadied itself against the beams.

'Ow…' Peter's vision spun, his chest now a writhing mass of pain. The purple dragon bared its teeth.

'Like that, _human_?' It sneered and inhaled for another attack.

Ray hurled the stone. It struck the dragon square on the nose. The beast growled at them, its attention diverted from Peter.

'Ray, stop it!' Peter's voice roared through the auburn head.

"What the?" Ray's eyes widened. "P-Peter?!"

'You wretched little insects! I will sear the meat from your bones!' Another voice pounded the three men. It was like a thousand speakers cranked up to eleven. Egon dropped to his knees, hands over his ears. Winston dropped the thrower, his teeth clenched. Ray gasped in pain.

'I am going to make your pack mates suffer.' It turned back to Peter. 'And I will make you _watch_.'

'No…' Peter tried to rise. The pain batted him down.

The dragon roared again, this time mentally. Ray and Winston dropped to the ground, intense pain in their heads. They both had their eyes shut tight, hands clamped around their heads as if they would explod.

Egon shuddered, his eyes rolling back in their sockets. He began to convulse on the ground. Peter watched, eyes wide with horror. What has happening to him?

'Stop! I'll do anything you want, just leave them alone!' 

It slowly turned to Peter. _'Anything?'_

'Yes, anything, just stop hurting them!'

"Pete, no." Winston whispered. He didn't care about how he was hearing Peter. It didn't matter.

"Please Peter, we'll be okay!" Ray croaked, lying.

The dragon let loose a brief psychic blast. Winston and Ray collapsed on the ground, moaning. 

Egon jerked one final time and went still.

'Egon!' 

'He'll be fine.' 

Peter struggled to his feet, preparing to drag himself to them if necessary. 'I don't believe you.'

'Use your telepathic powers, you can see for yourself.'

'How do I do that?'

"Just concentrate on the fair-haired one.' A series of images assaulted him. Instructions.

Peter closed his eyes and tried to follow the directions. Distressed psychic waves came to him. They radiated from all three men, but most strongly from Egon. He was hurt badly, but not fatally. He would survive. The waves dispersed as Peter opened his eyes.

'You take to this well.' The dragon observed. 'For a human.'

'I'm a fast learner.' Peter glared at it.

'Come. It's a short flight.' The thing rose into the air.

Peter groaned in pain, but managed to follow.

"Peter, no!" Ray yelled at the receding figure. The two flying beasts ignored him and disappeared over the treetops.

"What just happened?" Winston demanded when he got his breath back.

"Psychic attack." Ray rose to his feet.

"It looks like Egon got the worst of it." Winston jerked his head at the man. "How come?

"I've got a confession to make." Ray pulled Egon into a sitting position. "Egon and I figured out a while back that our proton beams were affecting us. Having a nuclear accelerator on our backs was bound to lead to some side effects."

"Like what?" Winston asked slowly.

"The rest of us haven't changed all that much, but working with the PKE meter along with the pack, and all the times he's been zapped with the proton beams have increased the normal amount of inborn psychic ability Egon already had."

"He's psychic?!"

"Not really. He can't read our minds or predict the future." Ray shook his head. "It's like...he's a finely tuned radio receiver. Under regular circumstances it wouldn't matter."

"So basically, he's completely venerable to the exact kind of attack this other dragon just used."

"Uh-huh."

"Will be okay?"

"I think so." Ray bit his lip. "But it's gonna be rough for him."

"What do we do now?"

"We let Egon sleep if off. In the morning, we go after Peter and that other dragon."

0o0o0o0o0

To be continued


	4. Chapter 4

Peter followed the other dragon all the way to the formidable castle, trying to ignore his charred chest and the fading waves of distress from his teammates. He wasn't doing very well with either task. What did this thing want with him? If it just wanted them dead, they'd all be dead right now. The thing had outclassed Peter easily.

Not to mention what it'd done to Egon.

They landed and the other dragon started to go inside a large gateway in the side of the stone. It was big enough to admit a dragon, but the castle loomed larger still. Peter frowned. There were no castles like this in New York--hell, not in America! Where had it gone during the ensuing centuries? Who made it?

The other dragon noticed that he wasn't following. 'Well? Come on!'

'Listen, buddy-'

'My name is not 'buddy' it is Dena.' The dragon snapped. 'Now follow me.'

'Whatever.' Peter snorted, trying to mask his fear and confusion. 'Sounds like a girl's name.'

'I _am_ a female.' The dragon led him down a dark stony corridor the size of the subway. 

'Then why are you so much bigger than me? That's not fair.' 

'Female dragons are usually larger than males. We have to be in order to protect the hatchlings.' She huffed. Peter felt the annoyance in her thoughts. 

'Well excuse me for my poor inter-species knowledge.' He

They entered a large cavern. It was barren, save for a shelf with several bottles set at dragon-height, and large fire pit that was burning feebly. Dena sent a puff of fire at it. It sprang up to a roaring blaze, chasing the shadows away.

'You must be real useful at a campsite.'

Dena shot him a withering look.

'Hey, just trying to lighten the mood. So what are we doing here?'

'Getting you up to respectable standaers' Dena clamped her jaws lightly around one of the bottles and laid it on the ground. 'Drink this. It will heal your chest.'

'How do I know that's not poison?'

'What use are you dead?' Dena demanded. 'Drink it or suffer. I will return shortly.'

With that, she left the cavern. As she left, a giant stone door materialized, sealing Peter inside.

'So much for escaping.' He tried to remember what little he knew about dragons. Were they magic? Were they good liars?

His chest ached as he lay down on the cool tiles. He bit back a roar. That really, really hurt.

The bottle lay before him.

'What have I got to lose?' He clumsily gripped the bottle with his claws and drank. It tasted a little like mouthwash. A cool sensation spread over his chest.

'She might have been telling the truth.' He pushed the bottle away and curled up next to the fire. How quickly did dragons heal without magic? Egon would know. 

'I wonder if I can reach the guys mentally from here.' He'd lost the ability to feel them once they'd hit the castle grounds. Simple distance? Magical ward? Just too tired? He could at least try to find out with what instructions Dena had provided.

He closed his eyes, concentrating as before. Waves so faint her could barely see them formed. They were indistinct. All he could make out was the three of them were together--and very far away.

'Ray! Winston!' He called anyway, hoping that this was the psychic equivalent of yelling and not an attack. Even if they could hear him, they wouldn't be able to answer.

'I'm okay!' He tried again. 'Don't worry about me, take Egon back and get him some help! I'll be okay!

'I think.'

0o0o0o0o0

The two conscious Ghostbusters had managed to set up a decent camp for the night. Winston built a shelter, and Ray caught several rabbits to roast over the fire.

"It's a good thing you were a Boy scout." Winston fed some sticks into the fire. He had of course hunted and killed things in Vietnam, but Ray needed something to do. 

Winston's prey hadn't been strictly animals, either. 

Ray shrugged. "I just wish we had more on us than your Swiss pocketknife. Can't exactly skin a rabbit with a proton beam."

"Well, at least it got the fire going." Winston observed. "Maybe we can add some accessories in case this comes up again."

"We'll have to ask Egon." Ray's expression drooped. "When he's better, I mean."

"Of course."

Egon was sleeping close to the fire. He hadn't woken up since the attack, but seemed to be sleeping soundly. His breathing was deep and relaxed.

'…Ra…inston!' 

"What was that?" Winston jumped to his feet.

"I think it's Peter trying to contact us!" Ray got up and looked around. "Maybe he got away!"

"How do we send a message back?"

"I don't think we can." Ray's enthusiasm faded. Even if Peter had gotten away, he was in pretty bad shape. He might be on the ground, unable to fly, and unable to get back to them. He could be laying helpless in the woods, trying to dodge the other dragon.

'…k…wor…Egon…help!' The words faded in and out.

"I could't make that out." 

"I caught 'Egon' and 'help'." Winston said.

"That could be Peter asking for help, or telling us to help Egon." Ray reasoned.

"Five bucks says it's get Egon help. He must want us to take Egon back to the present." 

Ray paled. "We can't do that, Peter could get trapped here!"

A sharp groan interrupted that train of thought. Egon was sitting up, hand to his head.

"Who said my name?"

"How do you feel?" Ray knelt besides him.

"Aside from a whopping headache, I believe I'm alright. Where's Peter?"

"He went with that purple dragon." Winston placed a hand on his shoulder.

"WHAT?!" Egon tried to jump to his feet and wobbled unsteadily.

Winston grabbed his arm before the man could fall to the ground. "Easy Egon. You've been down for a few hours."

"What do you mean, Peter went with that dragon? Why would he do that?" Egon regained his balance and shook Winston off.

"He had to go, or that thing would have ripped us apart." Ray said.

Free from the support, Egon half-sat, half-fell to the ground. "Why are we still here then? We need to go after him!"

"You're in no condition to go anywhere." Ray pointed out.

"Besides, it's getting dark." Winston said. "There's no point in trying until morning."

Egon sighed heavily. "You're right."

"Are you hungry? Ray caught a couple rabbits."

Egon shook his head. "I feel a little nauseous…I think I'm just going to go back to sleep."

"Okay." Ray watched the blond lay flat. "Are you sure you're okay? That thing blasted you pretty bad."

"I don't have a concussion. I just need some rest." Egon's voice was unsteady. "No physical damage whatsoever."

"Okay." Ray let the implied psychic damage drop. There was little they could do about it until they got home.

If they got home.

Egon closed his eyes and sank quickly into sleep.

0o0o0o0o0

Peter felt waves of warmth wash over him, his chest centered in it. He began to drowse.

'That damn stuff was a sedative!'

Well. Too late to do anything about it now.

0o0o0o0o0

Egon's eyes opened. The darkening forest had been replaced with a sunny meadow. He stood, feeling strong and steady again.

"Ray? Winston?" He called. His voice echoed faintly.

'I went to sleep in a place that looks nothing like this…my teammates are gone…logic would suggest this is a dream.'

He relaxed slightly. If he was dreaming something as normal and peaceful as a meadow, then the psychic attack was wearing off.

A lone figure appeared at the other end of the clearing. It waved at him, then started forward, quickly.

'Peter?' Egon recognized the silhouette. He started running.

"Egon, if this is some kind of joke, I can tell you its not funny!" Peter exclaimed as they reached the center of the field together.

"Well, I'm dreaming. I don't know about you."

"That would explain why I'm not scaly." Peter said. "But I just fell asleep at the castle."

"There are no castles in America in the sixteen hundreds."

"Then I stumbled into one hell of a theme park."

"Hmm." Egon frowned. "Very interesting."

"So am I in your dream, or vice-versa?"

"I believe after the psychic attack I suffered, and the telepathic powers inherent to your new body, it may be both." Egon said after a moment.

"That's just great." Peter groaned. "My subconscious is a chat room. Where's Ray and Zedd?"

"Still awake, probably. Even if they do fall asleep, I doubt either one of them will show up."

"Why's that? That dragon put the whammy on them same as you."

"Not entirely." Egon prepared himself for a long explanation. "Ray and I have notice a few side effects from our packs..."

0o0o0o0o0

Winston watched Egon's eyes twitch. He had fallen into REM sleep very quickly.

"Ray, is that normal?"

"After what he's been through, who knows? We'll do tests once we get home." Ray tried to put on a brave face for Winston. It wasn't normal. Not at all.

Winston frowned at this. "I don't like this, man."

0o0o0o0o0

"Okay, so you're now Mr. Spock."

"Not at all. If my theory is correct, I am more prone to receive psychic waves from stronger entities I encounter, that's all." Egon shrugged. "Really more of a novelty than anything. I tried to strengthen the ability, but I was hitting a mental wall. I suspect it was there to protect my mind from harm."

"A wall that's now been blasted through by Dena. Egon, when you wake up, tell the guys to go home. You need to make sure you're okay. Not to mention Ray is already hurting." Peter said worriedly. So, his buddy was a mutant: they had bigger problems.

"No. We're not leaving you here." Egon's expression hardened.

Peter ran a hand through his hair. "I don't like this Spengs."

"Nor do I, but we're stuck with it."

"Well, I've already told you directions to Castle Spooky-Doom, and you've brought me up to speed on your predicament. What do we do now?" Peter said after a pause.

"I don't know. We might-" Egon's voice cut out. Peter's eyes widened as the blond faded from view.

"Egon!"

0o0o0o0o0

Egon's eyes snapped open. Ray and Winston were strapping on the proton packs against the sunlit sky. Day had broken. He sat up, wooziness and nausea returning.

"Sleeping Beauty's up." Winston nodded at him. "Hungry yet? We've got some rabbit left."

"No…I'm fine." Egon stood, trying not to wince. The headache had gone, but dizziness had taken its place. Possibly a side effect from his conversation with Peter. Either dragons had a greater 'range' than ghosts and humans with psychic broadcasting abilities, or he was unable to block out any kind of psychic waves.

Troubling implications ether way.

"You should eat something. We may have a long walk." Ray said.

"Not as long as you'd think."

0o0o0o0o0

Peter opened his eyes to see Dena staring down at him. He jerked in surprise, and his chest didn't burn. The pain was gone.

'You drank it. I didn't think you would.' She sounded disinterested, but something pulsed under the thought. Peter wished he had more experience in telepathic communication.

'I was thirsty.'

'Follow me. It's time to meet the master.' She turned to the door, not stopping to watch if he followed. Peter got up walked behind her. He didn't want to get his nearly-healed body fried just yet.

'So, is this master guy nice?' The stone corridor was a little smaller than was comfortable. His wings scraped the sides of the passage.

'The master is benevolent. If he was not, I would have perished long ago.' Dena sounded as enthusiastic about this as a stranger giving him the time.

'Sounds like you _really_ appreciate it.'

Dena said nothing as they continued down the stone corridor.

'You seem like an intelligent per…dragon. Why not blow this pop stand, and hang out in the mountains with other dragons?'

'I am the last.'

'What?'

'I am the last of my kind. Besides you, that is.'

Peter swallowed. 'I'm human, remember? This is temporary. As soon as I get this bracelet off I'm heading home as a homosapien.'

Dena remained quiet as they entered the main chamber. Stone walls rose up what seemed to be hundreds of feet. Before them was a lightly jeweled black throne. A man in dark robes stared intently at the two. He could have passed for Gandalf any day of the week.

Peter almost laughed. It was like a bad fantasy movie.

"This is the human?" A surprisingly soft voice came fourth.

'Yes master.' Dena bowed her head.

The man stood and walked to Peter. "You found the Draconic bracelet. I am impressed."

'Yeah, any chance you can get it off?' Peter jerked the limb. 'It's not really my style.'

The man smirked slightly. "He's got a tongue. Take him back to the cave. If his comrades show up, kill them."

'You said you'd leave them alone if I went with you.' Peter growled at Dena, wondering how his fangs would hold up in a fight.

'Master, they pose no threat. They have no magic, their weapons are ineffectual-' Dena began.

"I don't care what lies you told to get him here. If they come, kill them." The man's voice never rose.

'Yes master.' 

'Now wait just a damn minute.' Peter growled. 'What do you want with me anyway? You've already got a dragon.'

"Yes, a female dragon. And now I have a male. Soon, I will have an army.'

Oh...Oh dear _God_. That man wanted him to...Oh NO!

'Whoa buddy, there is no way that's happening. For one thing, I'm human. I just look like a dragon.' Peter stumbled backwards.

"It makes no difference." His voice was conversational. "You can still father other dragons."

Heat was building in Peter's throat. 'I won't.'

"Do it or I will kill your friends, even if they don't come here." His voice was sharp. "You've already altered my plans. It's your own fault for coming here, to my domain. Take the consequences, or I promise you they will die by my hand. I will make you _watch_."

Something snapped. Peter unleashed a fireball. The man was engulfed in flame before the smirk left his face.

Peter turned his head. He just killed a man! A man that wanted him to do unspeakable things and kill his friends, but...

No. No buts. He wasn't sorry. He would watch the flames burn until it was over. 

Suddenly, the flames went out. The man was sitting un-burned on his throne. Peter's jaw dropped. How?

The man sighed and waved his hand slightly.

A bolt of pain tore through Peter's body. He dropped to the floor, screaming. His scales were being ripped off one by one by the roots. 

The pain passed almost as quickly as it came. He lay there, panting, eyes squeezed shut as boiling tears dripped onto the floor.

"Try that again, and it will go worse for you. Take him back Dena." 

'Come.'

Peter forced himself to his feet and started after her, tail tucked tight against him. He'd find another way to fight.

He _had_ to.

0o0o0o0o0

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

"I still don't understand how it happened, but if you say Pete contacted you, I believe you." 

Winston was trying not to let his skepticism get in the way of Egon's story. It was hard to swallow: a castle, magic dragons, and an evil ruler somehow in sixteen-hundreds untamed New York? Nonsense.

Egon put one hand to his forehead and closed his eyes. He was still suffering from this nonsense.

"It makes sense, especially if I'm right about the effects of the psychic attack." Ray said. 

"Not to mention the fact Egon was able to predict the broken tree we passed." Winston said. "It's not like we don't have evidence. It's just hard to get my head around it."

The three men were tromping through the thick underbrush. Egon had predicted several landmarks on the route Peter had given him. The blond man led the front, seemingly feeling better than last night.

"Yes, well, I'm very glad my credibility hasn't waned." Egon said in his usual phlegmatic tones.

Ray flexed his left hand gingerly. His wrist hurt less than yesterday, but it was still stiff. "I wish we had more than two proton packs." 

"At least they're almost fully charged." Winston reminded him. "They should be fine, assuming we're not attacked before we get to the castle."

"If we were about to be attacked, Peter may try and-" Egon stopped short.

"What is it?" Ray asked.

He scientist didn't answer.

"Egon? You okay?" Winston said slowly, approaching him.

Egon screamed in agony and crumpled to the ground.

"No…" Ray hissed, dropping to his knees next to the man. "Egon!"

The blonde's breathing was labored. His eyes were open and unblinking. When Ray grasped his shoulder, he cringed. Ray let go.

"Egon, what is it? Another psychic attack?"

"Peter." The word emerged in a gasp. His eyes slid shut. 

"Is he okay?" Winston asked, not wanting the answer.

"Hurt." His voice dropped to a whisper. 

"He told you he was-"

"No. I felt it." Egon cut him off. He shuddered and opened his eyes. 

Ray shot a worried glance at Winston. "That shouldn't be possible. Physical pain can't travel over psychic waves!"

"I think it just did Ray." Winston gingerly pulled the bespectacled man into a sitting position. Egon flinched at the touch, but allowed himself to be positioned.

"Who did it? That girl dragon?"

"No, it wasn't Dena. Somebody else." Egon closed his eyes. "A man in dark robes. Probably whoever directed Dena to attack us."

"You can see him?" Ray asked.

"Sort of. Peter saw him, and the image came with the pain." Egon said haltingly. He slowly removed his proton pack. "Ray, I'm afraid you'll have to wear this. I'm not sure if I have the stability needed."

"Egon, you can't keep going like this! Why don't we find the caves, and you can wait for us to get Peter." Winston pleaded. "You're like a person with no immune system, and we're walking into a quarantine zone. You'll just keep getting slammed."

"I'm the only one who can lead you there."

"You can draw a map or something." Ray protested as Egon stood. " Winston's right. You're in no shape to get anywhere near something that uses psychic attacks."

"We're almost there. It would only waste time." Egon aruged.

"No Egon. I'm putting my foot down. You are heading back to the cave while Ray and I get Pete outta there." Winston said. "We need to get distance between you and this guy pronto."

Egon was defeated. He had to tell them. "If Peter is attacked I'll feel it no matter what."

"What do you mean?" Ray asked quietly. "Why would that be?"

"I don't exactly know, Ray. Maybe it has something to do with Peter and I always pairing off during busts. Maybe it was because I was closer to him when the initial psy-blasts hit. Maybe it's because I've been with him the longest of any of you." Egon swallowed hard. "But the evidence suggests that Peter and I have psychically bonded, and at this point strong psychic attacks on him will also hit me, regardless of distance. We're not particularly close to him now, after all."

"So no matter where you are, you're gonna get blasted each time Peter does." Winston said blankly. "And we're about to try and get Peter away from two beings that have been knocking him around like a wimp in a prize fight."

"Correct." Egon re-positioned his glasses. "I suggest we get to the castle as quickly as possible. If Peter is attacked with that much force again, its conceivable that I'll be driven unconscious."

"There's nothing we can do? No mental exercises, no gadget to reverse the effects?" Winston pressed.

"I hadn't planned for my natural psychic walls to be disintegrated." Egon got to his feet. "I'm not sure if something like that can _be_ repaired."

Ray slowly put Egon's proton pack on, favoring his injured wrist. "And without access to the lab we can't build anything to shield you."

Egon nodded grimly. "Correct."

"I don't like this."

"I know."

0o0o0o0o0

To be continued...


	6. Chapter 6

Peter lay down on the stone floor. His head ached from the attack. His body ached. His _soul_ ached. All he wanted was to curl up in a ball and go to sleep.

'So, he wants us to have a bunch of dragon babies.' He forced himself onto his feet. The pain wasn't physical, his mind just thought it was. He had to power through.

'Yes.' Dena looked a little ill at the prospect, he thought. The swirl of emotions below the surface wasn't positive.

'Well I'm not doing it.' Peter growled. 'I'm getting out of here.'

Dena's face remained carefully blank. 'He'll kill your pack mates if you leave.'

'They could kick his butt and day of the week!' Peter didn't bother to explain that they'd high-tail it several hundred years into the future and out of that madman's grasp if he had anything to say about it.

'One of them is very weak from the attacks.'

Peter thought about this, and his heart sank. 'Egon got blasted when I did?'

'Yes, and humans are not designed for it. If the master disciplines you again, he may be killed.' Dena shifted her gaze away from his. 

Peter groaned in frustration and pain. 'Damnit! I need to get out of here before Gargamel fries his brain.'

Dena's expression turned inquisitive. 'You think you can protect them? They're insects to the master.'

'They're not insects. They're my friends.' Peter huffed some soot out of the back of his throat. 'I'll die if it keeps them safe. Gladly.'

'Humanity is no better on the whole than the master. They murder their own kind, let alone...'

Peter shuddered as several images of slaughtered dragons came over. She really was the last one.

'Not all humans are like that.' He knew the words rang hollow to her, no matter how true they were. 'Look, you don't want to mate with me. Show me a way out and we'll all get out of your hair...scales. Scout's honor.'

Dena said nothing, but the door opened behind her opened. 'Go. I would rather be alone than raise the half-breed monstrosities we would spawn.'

'Gee, thanks.' Peter hoped dragon's weren't familiar with sarcasm as he raced outside. He had to get to the guys and convince them to get home.

'That fool is going to get them all killed.' She watched him go. There would be punishment for this, and soon. If only he could get far enough away--

'DENA.' The master's voice invaded her. 'You let him GO.'

'He is too weak to serve you, master.' She knew there would be no defense. He wouldn't kill her...not until he had a clutch of eggs at the ready.

'I don't need a strong male. Just a male. Wait here.' 

She coiled up on the floor of her chamber.

0o0o0o0o0

Peter flew erratically. He could feel Egon's mental waves, but they were as pain-filled as his own. He didn't dare send another psychic message. 'I'll get to them soon enough.'

0o0o0o0o0

Egon walked slowly, using a large stick as a staff. Ray and Winston kept pace with him, ready to catch him if he so much as stumbled. He'd been fine since the last attack.

"We're very close now."

"Great." Winston said. "That mean you'll be turning back now?"

Egon ignored the suggestion. "When we get there I believe we can free Peter by blasting the doors with the proton beams. The other dragon will chase us. We lead her back to the cave, and there will be enough valance to get Peter through." 

"We can do that without you being on the firing range Egon." Ray pleaded. His wrist was still bothering him, but it didn't matter. "Please, start heading back."

"We've been over this Ray. Besides-"

'It is too late.' A voice said softly.

"Who said that?" Ray fumbled with his thrower. Damn his wrist!

A gigantic fire blast exploded in front of the three, sending all of them to the ground. The trees evaporated in giant puffs of soot. The gigantic castle lay exposed behind the smoking stumps. 

The dark-robed figure from Peter's vision stood before them, face no longer calm and collected. Egon gasped, pain wavering through him. Ray and Winston appeared unaffected by the new presence.

"You three really think you can save him." The voice, now physical, chuckled. 

"Think nothing." Winston aimed the thrower. "You're gonna let our buddy go."

"Fire if you dare. He will pay the price." As the man spoke Egon's head throbbed much harder. He gritted his teeth.

"Don't worry about me." Egon waved them off, one hand over his eyes. It felt like they would pop out of their sockets. "Stop him."

Winston didn't lower his thrower. "You're bluffing."

"Do you truly believe that?" The man intoned. Egon cried out as the pain grew worse. He was bleeding, he _had_ to be bleeding, this pain couldn't just be psychic!

"Winston, please!" Ray sounded hysterical. "He'll kill Egon."

Winston stared intensely at the man. Slowly, he lowered the thrower. I

"Good boy." A sneering smile graced the old man's face. Winston held in a sharp retort.

The pain receded slightly. Egon let go of his face and drew a few deep breaths. "Let Peter go."

"Let him _go_? He has already gone, my dear boy." He looked toward the setting sun. "As a matter of fact, he's almost upon us."

"It's a trap!" Ray cried out. 

"Yes, it is."

'And you, boy, are the unfortunate bait.'

Egon's eyes widened in horror. The man was speaking directly to him; the pain was excruciating. Worse than before, a thousand times worse. Bleeding? His whole head was about to be vaporized.

"He could have farther my army, but instead he chooses to run back to you. Admirable, but foolish."

"Fathered his..." Ray paled, realizing what he meant.

"You sick sonofaBITCH!" Winston snarled

The man turned back, and focused on Egon. 'You're the one he's connected with. And Dena did her work very well when she weakened you. Dragons always make the best psychic enforcers. The best next to me, of course.'

Egon felt the man probing his mind, accessing his memories, his fears, everything. He had no idea how to stop it. Ray and Winston were running at him, but it was in slow motion. He breathed deep, trying to drive out the pain and distraction. He only needed one more moment

'PETER IT'S A TRAP!" Egon screamed mentally in all directions. Ray and Winston appeared to hear nothing: of course. He was only a receiver, after all.

The Gandalf-alike shook as though he'd been punched. 'You'll regret that.'

0o0o0o0o0o0

Peter's head throbbed. His eyes opened, sunlight burning his retinas. He groaned. The ground under him seemed to spin.

'I was flying…what happened?'

He rose shakily to his four feet. Something had knocked him out of the air.

'Flying…Looked for the guys…Egon…'

Egon's voice, screaming for him.

'Oh my God.'

0o0o0o0o0

The world had gone red. Ray had never felt anger this strong before. He swung blindly at the man who'd unleashed some kind of force on Egon, ignoring the pain in his wrist. The blond had crumpled moments before they could reach him, and had not moved since. Winston had tried to rouse him, but it was too no avail. 

He didn't seem to be breathing.

The man tried to fend Ray off with psychic blows, but it wasn't working. The rage pouring through him had made a mental wall. He was nearly invulnerable to such attacks. 

The man, without his psychic blows, fell under his fists. He lay on the ground in a shattered heap. Ray raised his fist for the final strike--

And gasped in surprise as the world seemed to flip upside down. He looked up shakily, the red slowly fading. "What...?"

Peter had arrived and pushed him out of the way. He was now standing over the man, teeth bared.

'What did you do to Egon?!' He ignored Ray. "Tell me!"

The man didn't answer. He was unconscious, of course.

"Ray, what did you do to him?" Winston asked in amazement, looking up from Egon.

"I…I…" Ray stammered. The Rage was gone, and now he staggered, bewildered, to his feet. His wrist began to ache far worse than before. It had to be broken now.

'It doesn't matter.' Peter said coldly, turning away from the crumpled heap. 'How's Egon?'

"I don't know." Winston said. "I've never seen anything like this before."

Egon lay on the grass, eyes unblinking. Winston waved a hand over him.

"See? Its like he's awake, but no pupil reactions. He's breathing, but it's very shallow."

'It may be catatonic shock. What did 'Gandalf' over there do?' Peter asked.

"Dunno. Egon just fell." Winston shook his head. "He wasn't attacking us, Peter. Just Egon."

Peter sat heavily, shaking the ground. 'He _knew_. He knew he could hurt Egon the easiest and bring me running back. Oh, Spengs, I am so sorry.'

Egon didn't move or give any sign that he'd heard.

"So…now what?" Ray tried to ignore the buzz of adrenaline in his veins. They had bigger problems.

'Now, we see what the Master did to the young psychic, and if he can be helped.' A female voice spilled through the three men's minds. Egon didn't even blink

"Pete-"

'Its okay Zedd. She let me go.' Peter watched Dena warily. 'She wasn't exactly happy with Methuselah's plan.'

Dena ignored the crack. 'Let me see the receiver.'

Winston backed a few steps away from Egon. "Can you tell what's wrong with him?"

Dena stood quietly for about a minute before closing her eyes and turning her head. 'I...am sorry.'

'What?' Peter asked sharply.

'The Mast...The Osark has broken his mind.'

"What do you mean?" Winston knelt down to Egon again.

'Osark has trapped him in a nightmare that is without end. All the very worst things that have ever happened...all that he can ever imagine...'

"But…we can wake him up." Ray forced out a whisper, trying to keep the images out of his head. Egon, reliving everything bad he'd ever been through...and everything he could imagine? God.

Dena shook her head. 'Osark has broken his mind beyond simple repair. We can do nothing.'

"No. No, there has to be something we can do!" Winston looked to his teamates. "Guys, think!"

'No we. You.' Dena's gold eyes locked onto Peters.

'What?'

'You have a mind-link with him. You have a chance of pulling him out.'

'What do I do?' 

'You must enter his mind, and convince him what he's experiencing is not real.'

'Okay, I can do that. I convinced him to help create Ghostbusters.' Peter tried to find a joke, some wisecrack to soften the blow. It was the best he could scrape together.

'It won't be easy. Everything in his mind will feel as real to you as reality. If you're injured, you will suffer. You can die in his mind.'

'I don't care.' 

Dena nodded. 'I expected as much.'

She sat primly in front of the wounded Doctor. 'You have contacted him before. Use that link.'

Peter nodded. 'Guys, just hang on. I'll have him up and spouting science-babble before we know it.'

A ghost of a smile crossed Ray and Winston's faces for a split second. Peter tried not to wince. They were counting on him. _Egon_ was counting on him.

"Good luck man."

"Good luck." Ray echoed Winston's statement. "We'll wait right here."

Peter took one last look at Egon's blank face. Spengs was in there, somewhere. He was gonna get him out. He had to.

'Petey, this is the big one. If you screw this up, you're dead, Egon is trapped forever, and Ray and Winston are stuck here.

'Okay, that didn't help.'

Peter searched for the link. He didn't understand how it worked, but some intrinsic knowledge came with the body. Slowly, a thin golden thread seemed to form before him. He followed it, floating more than flying. As he did, he noticed his 'body' was once again human. There were some perks to this link after all.

'It'll help convince Egon I'm real.' He followed the thread to a door. It seemed to be the door to Egon's lab, back at the firehouse.

Peter slowly opened it.

0o0o0o0o0

To be concluded.


	7. Chapter 7

The scientist shielded his eyes against the bright light as he opened the door. He took a tentative step forward, trying to see.

His foot hit nothing, and he began to fall.

"Shit!" Peter grasped at the door but missed, and went spiraling into the white abyss. The light faded, and he saw a cold gray floor rushing up to greet him. He closed his eyes and braced for impact. 

It never came.

Peter slowly opened one eye. The ground had stopped rushing at him. He looked around, perplexed as to what hat halted his decent. He looked skyward, and his eyes widened.

Smaller versions of his dragon wings were attached to his now human back, along with a tail.

'Oookay…' Peter shrugged and landed. 'I'm not gonna complain about something that saved my life. We can deal with it later.'

The psychologist looked around. The entire placed looked like an empty lab. The metallic gray floor extended infinitely in all directions. Here and there, tables and other apparatus were placed. There were no walls, just a gray fog. Wherever Egon was, it wasn't in his line of sight.

"Egon?" He walked forward, his tail hissing over the floor behind him. "Spengs, its me. Where are you?"

His wings flexed uneasily. It was far too quiet. The human mind, even Egon's mind, couldn't be _this_ sterile and devoid of random thought. Another product of Osark's attack? 

Suddenly a choked cry emerged from the fog.

"Egon!" Peter ran towards the cry. After a few steps he skidded to a halt and lept into the air.

'Stupid stupid stupid! You can fly ten times faster than you could ever run! Keep making mistakes like that, and you're as good as dead.' He chided himself, scanning the lab for any signs of life.

Peter flew quickly, skimming the medical equipment with the toes of his boots at ties. A hazy figure appeared in the fog several yards away. Peter pulled up short and dropped to the ground.

"Egon?" He cautiously approached the figure. It stumbled and fell.

"No!" Peter hurried forward and bent over the face-down figure. It was dressed in a Ghostbusters's uniform. He turned it over, fearing the worst.

His own mangled face stared back at him. 

"UGH!" Peter stood up quickly, struggling not to retch. The face... _his_ face...was beaten to a bloody pulp. Gore trailed behind it. If the splatters were any indicator, the thing had fallen and scrabbled its way along for some time. "I don't...what are you?

No answer, unsurprisingly. As he watched, the grim specter disappeared.

'Okay Petey, let’s just assume that's part of the torture, and not a preview of things to come.' Peter shivered. He locked onto the trail of blood and followed it back to where the unfortunate thing had come from.

As he walked, he heard more muffled cries. The fog was too dense for him to run, and if he flew he'd lose the blood trail. So he walked, slowly, trying to ignore the groans and shrieks.

The fog-bank cleared. Peter's eyes widened. He'd found Egon.

The blond was strapped, shirtless, into a chair with knobs all over it. They were positioned just far enough apart to dig into flesh and support no weight. If Egon so much as twitched, it would cause excruciating pain. And he was doing a lot more that.

He saw Janine standing in front of Egon. So close Egon could almost touch her—if he wasn’t restrained, that was. She was in the clutches of the Boogieman, who was…

Peter turned his head as the monster ripped off a shattered limb. Janine's screams were bloodcurdling. The Boogieman's laughs almost drowned them out. Almost.

Peter could hear the other screaming Egon's name. Screaming for death, wherever they were in the fog. He kept his eyes down. He couldn't watch this. Egon. He had to get Egon out of here.

Egon sat in his chair, shuddering. Tears flowed steadily down his cheeks from unblinking eyes. Blood was smeared around the straps on his wrists. He'd obviously struggled long and hard with the containment.

'The straps are cutting into him!' Peter rushed to the taller man's side, eyes off the scene in front of him. He couldn't look: they weren't real.

"Egon, its me." Peter stood in front of the man, hoping to block the visions. He couldn't help the screams. "It’s alright, Spengs. See?"

Egon said nothing, but slowly tipped his head upward. His eyes locked onto Peter's.

"Peter?" The word was a strangled croak.

"I'm getting you outta here." Peter began to un-strap the man.

"You died…You're out t-there d-d-dying-" 

"No, that isn't me." Peter started on the leg restraints. "None of this is real, Spengs."

Egon closed his eyes as Peter freed him. "The...the others?"

"They're fine." Peter stood and helped Egon off the devilish chair. Blood and bruises from the knobs covered his back. "Those things up there are fake."

Egon shuddered as the images were back in view. Peter quickly turned the man around.

"Don't listen." Peter said quietly. "I know how horrible it is, but its _not real_."

"What's going on?" Egon managed.

"The Wiz put the whammy on you. This is all his doing."

"H-how do w-we-" Egon stammered as the screams grew louder. "-How do we _stop_ this?"

"You believe me that this isn't real?" Peter placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes. If this was real, you'd be helping them. Not to mention, you wouldn't have wings." Something of Egon's personality surfaced. Peter felt a wild flutter of hope. Maybe he wasn't damaged beyond repair.

"That's all Dena told me to do. You should be waking up." 

"Waking...up?"

"Yeah. This is all in your mind." Peter's arm swept over the landscape.

Egon shook his head. "No. No, that can't be. Why would I do that to Ray and Winston? And Janine is…"

Peter instantly realized his mistake. "It’s not your fault, the-"

Egon sat heavily on the ground. He hid his face in his hands. "No. God no. I couldn't, I _couldn't_ …"

"Egon, you're not doing this, it's the guy who captured me! His name is Osark,. He's a wizard." Peter placed his hands on Egon's shoulders. " _He_ did this to you. You're not in control."

"Me. You said." Egon shook his head. He began to rock back and forth, a complete breakdown imminent. "All me. All this time. Me."

"NO! It is NOT YOU!" Peter grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back to his feet. "Say it!"

Egon stopped moving. Slowly, he lowered his hands. "Not me."

"Egon, tell me you believe me."

"I do." Egon said in a childlike whisper. Peter's stomach clenched. This was bad. Very very bad. "I don't want to stay here." 

"Do you believe you could ever do this to us?" Peter said quietly.

"...No."

"Damn right, no." Peter said. "Like I keep saying: You're being manipulated magically. This isn't in your control."

"But-"

"No buts Spengs." Peter pulled him to his feet. "Any doubt and both of us are stuck here."

Egon gulped and nodded. 

"Now we’re get the hell outta here." Peter placed an arm around the man's shoulders.

0o0o0o0o0

Ray paced nervously. "How long does this kind of thing take?"

'Time flows differently within the mind.' Dena replied crypicially.

"Thanks for the help." Winston muttered. "If anything ever gave us a straight answer I think I'd faint."

Egon's state hadn't changed in the last twenty minutes. Peter had fallen into a similar trance, eyes open, lying quietly on the ground.

"I don't suppose you can at least help us get that bracelet of Pete once he wakes up?"

Dena nodded. 'Yes, I have a potion that will remove it. Once Peter awakes the Receiver, I'll fetch it.'

"His name is _Egon_." Winston snapped.

‘Of course.’

"They'll be okay right?" Ray starred at his friends, biting his lip.

'Peter will recover...in time. The recc--Egon will have more difficulty.'

"But he'll be okay?"

'Many never fully recover from such attacks.'

Ray gulped, holding back tears. "And there's no magical fix for this, huh?"

'I'm sorry.'

"What about him?" Winston jerked a thumb at the still unconscious wizard. "He caused all this."

'Osark he will perish soon.' Dena sniffed indifferently. 

"What?"

'You did so much harm.' She indicated Ray. 'For all his skill, Osark was unable to fend of such blows.'

Ray paled. "I…"

"You couldn't help it Ray. You were protecting Egon." Winston laid a hand on the redhead's shoulder. "You did the right thing."

Ray nodded, but his expression was clouded. He hadn’t even noticed that his wrist no longer hurt.

Dena watched the two carefully. They had their own gifts, much like Peter and the Recciver. She shook her head . The young one gift had surfaced slightly, and with it he had dealt Osark the death blow. If they were lucky, they would never delve deep enough to retrieve their powers.

Not that they'd been lucky so far.

There was a noise. Her attention was drawn back to Peter. He was moving.

'Peter?'

'Ugg…'

Ray and Winston both perked up.

"Pete?"

'Mmm…' Egon coughed. Ray was instantly kneeling at his side.

"Egon? Are you okay?"

'Ray?' Egon's tone sounded odd in the other's head. He could transmit psychic thoughts now?

'A side-effect of the link.' Dena's eyes narrowed. 'Interesting. He transmits _and_ receives.'

"Yeah, its me." Ray broke into a grin, ignoring the dragon. Egon was awake. Who cared if he was telepathic?

Wordlessly, Egon wrapped his arms around the younger man. Ray hugged him back.

"It’s okay." He said quietly. Egon's body shook with silent sobs and the joy left Ray. He was in bad shape.

Winston watched as Peter slowly opened his eyes.

'Zedd?'

"Yeah Pete?"

'Tell Dena that that _sucked_.'

"Tell her yourself."

'I'll fetch the elixir from the castle.' Dena said in her usual cool tones, then took to the air.

'What elixir?' Peter got to his feet. 

"One that'll get that bracelet off you so we can go home." Winston said.

'Oh yeah…In there I looked relatively human.' Peter jerked his head at Egon.

"How you doing Egon?" Winston asked.

Egon just shook his head. He hadn’t let go of Ray.

'It was...rough. He's gonna need some time.' 

Winston nodded. "Dena said as much."

Egon slowly rose to his feet. 'Can we go home?' 

Winston and Peter exchanged a worried look. Why was Egon communicating telepathically? His body hadn’t been damaged by Osark.

"Yes, as soon as Dena gets back. She's got something to remove that bracelet, so Peter will be back to normal." Ray told him, not caring about the why.

Egon nodded. He looked at Peter. 'Thank you.'

Peter started slightly at the private communication. He couldn't tell why he knew it was private--he just did. 'Not at all Spengs. You'd do the same for me.'

'You won't tell them?'

'Not if you don't want me to. Doctor-Patient confidentiality. I am a psychologist, after all.'

The other two Ghostbusters watched the silent conversation.

"You think this’ll last?" Winston whispered.

"I don't know." Ray replied. "I hope not, or we’re gonna run into communication problems."

Winston nodded." Let’s just worry about getting Egon well."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Egon had said very little (nothing at all verbally) since Peter had awoken him. Ray had peppered the air with chatter in an attempt to simulate normalcy. Dena joined them as they made their way back to the cave.

'I won't cause you anymore trouble. I journeyed to your lands to seek brief reprieves from Osark. Now I won't need to.'

Ray nodded. "Not hard to understand why you wanted to get away."

Dena extracted a small vial from the folds of her wings. 'This will remove the bracelet. I'll keep it here so no more of your kind will use it.'

"Great. We can finally get home. God, Janine must be worried sick." Winston said, uncorking the vial for Peter.

'Thanks Dena.' Peter said, 'I don’t have to drink this, do I? It smells like Jersey.'

'Pour it onto the bracelet.' She instructed.

"I've got it." Ray took the vile and poured greenish oil onto the circlet.

"Um, Pete, maybe you should get behind a bush first…" Winston began to remove his jumpsuit, revealing a sleeveless tee shirt and kaki pants. "There a woman in our midst, after all."

'I've never seen the human anatomy up close.' Dena replied.

'And you're not gonna now.' Peter said, shifting his scaly form behind a cluster of bushes. As he did, the bracelet slid off his arm.

Peter's transformation began almost immediately. The other Ghostbusters watched in amazement as Peter began to shrink. The scales re-formed into soft, pink flesh. Brown hair lifted from his scalp. The fearsome claws receded into normal nails. The tail shrank to nothing. Finally, the bat-like wings vanished. 

Peter opened his eyes, his pupils remaining cat-like for just a moment. As they became round, he grinned. "I'm back."

0o0o0o0o0

After a hasty change into Winston's uniform, the four Ghostbusters stood in front of the portal, somewhat crowded by Dena. Peter had an arm locked firmly around Egon's shoulders. The taller man was slouched over slightly; whether from exhaustion or stress, Peter couldn't tell.

They’d have time to work that out later. 

'There is a book that may help your friend recover from the attack. It loosely translates to ‘The Tome of the Unknown’ from the original latin.

'Thanks Dena.' Peter smiled at her. His eyes widened as Dena nodded. 'You _heard_ me? I can still do the telepathic thing?'

'Yes. You had a telepathic talent long before your transformation, but only after did it come to light. Use it well. It will aid your friend's recovery.' She nodded at Egon. ‘It…will be much harder for him.’

'Two telepaths. This is gonna make life a lot more interesting around the firehouse.' Peter chuckled aloud.

"You ready Peter?" Ray asked.

"Yeah Ray. C'mon Egon, let’s get outta here.'

'Alright.' Egon's reply was broadcast to everyone present. Winston and Ray traded uneasy glances. Peter frowned. They didn’t even know he was still a telepath. Now was not the time to bring it up.

"I guess this is goodbye Dena."

'Perhaps.' She gave them a frightening grin and began to fade away. They watched, stunned, as the gigantic dragon vanished.

“Like I saw—We can’t get a straight answer for nothing.” Winston broke the silence. “How long do those things live, Ray?”

“I’m not sure.” Ray shook his head. “But I’ll look into it.”

With this he stepped into the wall, Winston following right on his heels.

Egon trembled as Peter steered him towards the wall.

Peter gave Egon's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. 'It's alright. We'll be together again in two seconds.'

Egon gulped and nodded. They stepped forward together, vanishing.

0o0o0o0o0

The treasure had been removed from their side of the cave. Peter sighed wistfully. “Figures.”

"We'd better get up to the house and call Janine. She's probably worried." Ray looked out of the cave’s mouth. No cops at least.

"We were only gone two days. I've been on dates that lasted longer." Peter replied.

'Two days?' Egon piped up.

'Yeah Egon.' Peter replied. Ray and Winston walked ahead, unaware of the conversation. 'You were only out for about a half hour.'

‘That’s impossible.’ Egon shrank from Peter’s outstretched hand. 

‘What’s impossible?’ Peter didn’t try to grab him: bad idea with PTSD.

‘I…It was more than half an hour.’ Egon’s eyes shifted away. 

'Dena said time was different in the mind. How long did it seem to be?' Peter felt a chill. 

Egon's eyes remained on the floor. 

'How long Egon?'

‘Please, I don’t want to—‘

' _How long_?' Peter pressed, gently. It was enough.

'A year.'

No. No. There was no way it could have been a year! Nobody could stand up to those sights for a year. It’d leave the victim a shattered mess. Even Egon couldn’t have…

Oh God.

'A year? He made you sit in that chair and watch that for a year?' Peter took a risk and touched Egon’s shoulder.

Egon shook his head slowly. 'That wasn't all.'

Before Peter could probe deeper, Ray began to yell. Peter grabbed Egon by the wrist and ran toward the sound. Egon didn’t struggle, at least.

Ray was standing next to a police officer. Winston was telling him something (most likely an abbreviated version of what happened). In the distance, Peter spotted a familiar red-head, rapidly making her way towards them.

"Janine!" Peter said, stunned. How worried had she been to trek up here? She hated upstate more than he did!

'Where?!' Egon's head snapped up. Janine had caught up to Ray and Winton, and was hugging them. Egon started forward, breaking Peter’s grip. Peter ran after him, heart thudding. Janine had no idea about what Egon’s current state was. He had to tell her, before--

'Janine!!' 

Egon's psychic cry caught the secretary's attention. She let go of the others. "Egon, how did you---" 

Egon engulfed her in a hug before she could finish. She reciprocated, looking bewildered but not unhappy. Egon was never this affectionate in public.

Peter finally reached the muddle. "Don't I get a hug Melnitz?"

"Dr. Venkman!" Janine squealed, breaking free from Egon's grasp. "What the heck happened to you guys?"

‘Janine…’ Egon swallowed hard. She reached out to him. He’d begun to tremble again. Too many people, too much happening, Peter saw. He had to get Spengs away from this commotion before he had a breakdown.

Peter grabbed him, and Janine trailed after them. The smile melted off her face. “You’re scaring me. Dr. Venkman, what's going on?"

“We’ll talk about it in the car.” Peter kept one arm firmly around Egon. “Just stay with Egon, okay?”

She nodded and slipped one arm around Egon’s waist. Egon closed his eyes, and stopped trembling. He’d be okay.

For now.

Peter walked back to the cop, trying to figure out what the hell he was going to say. He’d worry about the rest later.

 

0o0o0o0o0

To be continued in the next story. For now…Fin.


End file.
